The rise of social media has been considered the source of many of society’s maladies, such as depression, polarisation of politics, and a general decline in people’s well-being. While it’s easier to blame society’s ills on the newest phenomena, Ian Leslie argues that many of these supposed negative effects were on the rise decades prior to social media. He’s more inclined to pin these on the long-term decline of organised religion, as multiple studies have shown that religious people are more likely to have higher well-being. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
